The Aftermath
by kittyashes
Summary: Picks up seconds after the season finale. All chapters will contain 1000 words. Annie and Auggie's relationship is discovered, Ben returns with knowledge of Henry's dealings, and some minor fluff with a real plot.
1. The Talk

He kissed her one more time. She glanced up to him as he pulled back from the embrace that they were currently in. She knew that look in his eyes. He wanted to talk, and it was serious. This wasn't completely unexpected, though. Auggie had just shown up at her doorstep asking to talk and then just kissed her. It wasn't just that, though, she had kissed him back.

She ran her hand along his arm until she found his hand. She slowly entangled her fingers with his before she held on and led him toward her window seat. Annie took the seat that was against the wall and put her legs up loosely to her chest. He sat at her feet and messed with the hem of her jeans, just above her ankles.  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She then decided to speak first. "Auggie?" She asked, "Are we going to talk?"

"You know, Annie, when I came here tonight, I had every reason to turn around. I had every reason to turn back and have things stay the same between us." He heard her intake breath. "But I also had every reason not to. You and I haven't been the same since Barcelona. We weren't as close, and I got to wondering what it was about Parker that made you so distant. Then, when I figured out why, it was already too late. You were in a coma and I couldn't do anything to help you. I felt like my world was coming apart right then. And when you woke up, you were so concentrated on Lena that I knew if I told you, you could get hurt... Distracted..."

"Auggie..." Annie breathed. She wasn't in the emotional condition to deal with this, yet she knew she had to face it.  
He continued. "I said some things to you in the hospital, personal things. And I don't have the slightest idea if you ever heard them. You helped me survive, Annie. I care about you... I need you Annie, and I never need anybody, but I need you. You help me think things through. But, you also help me be less uptight. With you, I always feel the need to put that much more effort into anything than I would with just anybody. You make me smile, and laugh, and cry, and worry, and go crazy when you get yourself into trouble. And, I need that, Annie." He gave her a second to comprehend what he was saying. Just as he was about to continue talking, her hand cupped his cheek.

She kissed him quickly on the lips before speaking. "I know I do stupid, crazy, irresponsible things all the time. And I know that I have put you in compromising situations before and I know that it put a lot of stress on you and I'm sorry that I do. But, you've got to understand, I feel like it's me against the world out there." She sighed. "And I know that you're there for me and that you always will be, but it's just different."  
He found her hand and took it in his, placing his fingertips under her palm and his thumbs on the back of her hand. She continued talking, "I don't know why, I just can't get the feeling of being totally alone out of my mind. And, I'm glad you came over tonight because I finally know how you feel... And I understand that we've grown apart and I'm sorry about that, it's just that-"

Auggie cut her off with a kiss that she wasn't expecting. She leaned into his kiss and she reached up and grabbed his collar, forcefully pulling him towards her. Auggie's hands entangled in Annie's hair and her arms went around his neck. Annie was so lost in Auggie's kiss that she almost didn't notice her phone ringing,_ almost..._

"Walker," Annie said into her phone as she separated herself from Auggie. She went to stand up, but she was stopped in her tracks by the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Good evening, Annie." No, it _couldn't_ be... "I trust you are alone?" he asked.

"_Ben..._" Annie saw Auggie tense at his name. She put her hand on his shoulder to calm him. "What could you possibly need this time?"

"You failed to answer my question. Are you not alone?" Ben asked.

"No, I am not, but I do not see how that is an of your business. Now, if you do not mind, I would like to return to my evening." And with that, Annie pressed the end button on her phone and put it on silent. She figured that if anyone from work tried to reach her, they could call Auggie.

Auggie hesitated before he spoke. "What did he want?" he asked. Annie saw the worry in his eyes.

"Don't know, don't care..." She answered honestly. "I have more important things to tend to right now." And with that, she kissed him. The kiss was more passionate than before and Annie felt like she could stay like that forever... Until Auggie broke the kiss.

"Are you sure? If it was nothing, he wouldn't have called." Auggie said nervously. He heard her sigh.

"I could always call him back, if you like... _Or _I could do this..." Annie kissed him again. She held her hands to Auggie's chest and began to unbutton his top button. Auggie just nodded in agreement and ran his finger through her hair.

_"Incoming Call: Joan"_ Auggie's phone rang out. Auggie, still kissing Annie, reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Anderson." Auggie said with annoyance.

"Auggie, I need and Annie to come come see me first thing in the morning. You must not be late. Goodnight."


	2. The Confrontation

"Joan..." Auggie said as he and Annie walked out of the elevator. "What do you need?"

"My office, now" Joan said. Her tone sounded annoyed, but it was also laced with worry. This was the same tone that she used when Annie would get herself into dangerous situations that she could have avoided. Auggie didn't miss that fact, either. Joan led them to her office, Auggie holding Annie's arm.

Joan closed the door. Annie felt Auggie's grip tighten on her arm. Annie glanced at Auggie and saw his worried expression. Annie subtly put her hand on Auggie's and gave it a squeeze. Joan turned to face them.

"I understand that this seems sudden, but I have noticed a change in both your behavior in the past few weeks. I would like to be sure that this won't affect your work abilities." Joan sighed. "I understand that the two of you have had a lot on your plates lately, but I cant' help but feel that you two are somehow involved..." Joan saw Annie giving her a questioning look. "Romantically..." Joan finished.

"Um, what would make you say that?" Annie questioned, but then Annie felt Auggie relax his grip.

"You're not wrong, Joan." Joan looked from Annie to Auggie. She leaned against her desk.

"When?" Joan asked. She didn't seem to be too upset, just curious.

"Last night..." Annie replied. She didn't want to make her boss have anymore of a reason to doubt her. Annie could see Joan's shocked expression.

"Last night? Really? So when I called you, Auggie, you were with Annie?" Joan questioned. Auggie nodded firmly. "I see. And when were you two planning on sharing this information with me?"

"We- we don't know?" Annie answered unsure of herself. "We didn't quite get to talk about that yet..." Auggie audibly cleared his throat.

"We haven't had a chance to talk much about work." He explained. "Ben contacted Annie last night, and he interrupted our conversation. We don't know what he wanted, but it distracted us from what was happening."

Joan gave Annie a knowing look. "Auggie, could you excuse us for a minute?" Auggie simply nodded and exited the room, leaving Annie alone with Joan. "So, I know that Auggie may not know what Ben's reason for contacting you was. However, I believe that you may not have shared the whole truth with him."

"Joan, I think that he called me for more, uh, personal reasons." Joan gave her another look. " I honestly don't know though. I hung up on him."

"Why did you do that, Annie?" Annie blushed. Joan knew something was up... She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"I, um, had better things to do." Annie answered quietly.

"Oh... I see..." Joan looked Annie, who was now a light shade of pink, in the eyes.

"No, Joan, it's not like that." Annie corrected her. "Auggie and I aren't like that." Annie was now talking to Joan as more of a friend than a boss. She supposed it was because she wanted her to trust her again, and that meant being completely honest.

"So you aren't-" Joan began. She was interrupted, however by Arthur knocking on her office door. "Come in."

"Joan, you are needed in the conference room. The president is on." Arthur said, and with that he left promptly.

"We will continue this discussion, Annie." Joan said as she left her office to follow Arthur. Annie stood there, thoughts going a mile a minute. Her thoughts were cut short when she heard the door close. She decided she and Auggie really needed to talk about what just happened.

Annie left Joan's office and walked towards tech ops. "Walker." He said when she slid the glass door open. Barber looked up from his computer.

"Hi Annie." He chimed in. Annie gave him a smile and nodded. "How are you today?" Barber asked politely.

"I'm fine. But, could you give us a minute? I really need to talk to Auggie about something." Annie said. Barber could see the worried look on her face.

"Sure Ann-" He began, but was cut off by Auggie.

"No, Barber, that's fine. Annie and I could use a good workout anyway. Annie, what do you say to a little round at the gym?" Auggie heard Annie mumble a reply, which he didn't catch, but figured it was an agreement because he heard her heels walking out of the tech room.

Auggie walked out of the men's locker room. He immediately smelled her perfume and walked over to the punching bags. He heard her turn on her heels to face him, nearly running into him. "Oh, there you are," Annie said as she stepped back. The gym was empty, except for the two, but she wanted some distance between them when they were talking.

"Here I am," Auggie agreed. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Joan thought I wasn't telling her the whole truth about Ben. I figured that if she didn't believe me, you wouldn't either. The thing is, though, I'm not lying. I don't really even want to know why he was calling me. I honestly don't care. I want nothing to do with him AUggie, I just want you to know that." Annie said in a low voice.

Auggie barely audibly chuckled. "Annie, do you think that I didn't believe you? I trust you. Not only as my friend, my _ best friend_, but as well... You know..." His hands found her shoulders and he squeezed them gently.

"I just wanted to be sure. I mean, I just want to start this relationship out right. Not on a pile of lies." Annie said to him as she took a step forward. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before lining up her stance.


	3. Ben's Call

Annie and Auggie walked up from the gym together. They were both somehow much more chipper than they had been before they had been before they went down to the gym. Annie and Auggie parted at the entrance to the tech room. Annie continued on to her desk.

As soon as Annie sat down, however, her cell phone began to vibrate. She checked the caller ID. _Ben_. Annie took a deep breath and answered.

"Walker." Annie said. She heard her voice catch a little as she said it.

"Annie, I trust you are not going to hang up on me this time? After all, you did check the caller identification." Ben said.

"Ben, how nice to hear from you." Annie said sarcastically. She slowly got up from her desk and made her way towards Joan's office. "How can I help you?" Annie lightly tapped on Joan's door. When she looked up from her desk, Annie mouthed the word, "Ben."

Joan turned her head and suggested that she put it on speaker. Annie did so and waited for Ben's reply.

"Well, Ms. Walker, now that you have put me on speaker, I am sure that Joan is there with you as well. I would just like to know if you would be interested in getting a dinner with me tonight. Both of you." Ben said, emphasizing the both.

"Sorry, Ben, but I have plans..." Annie said smoothly. Joan shot her a look.

"What would the purpose of this so-called dinner be?" Joan asked. She had a feeling that he was up to something. Suspicious thoughts kind of came with the job description.

"Just a meeting with two women whom I find to be quite fascinating." Ben said. He waited for Annie's remark, which he knew would be somewhat rude.

"What makes you think that we would be interested in accompanying you to dinner?" Annie shot at him. She heard him sigh.

"Very well then, Annie, if you change your mind, you can bring your wonderful boyfriend too." Ben said, nonchalantly. "Meet me at Vesta at six." He then proceeded to hang up promptly. Which left Annie and Joan alone in her office once again.

"Well," Joan said, "I believe I will be seeing you and Auggie at Vesta tonight."

"Joan, Auggie and I already have plans. I don't think it would be very good to cancel our first date-" Annie was cut of by Joan.

"Annie, that was not a request. I understand that you and Ben have a history and there may still be some unresolved feelings towards him, but-" This time Annie cut her off.

"I have no feelings towards the man. I just find him to be... untrustworthy." Annie finished. She looked Joan in the eyes and knew that there was no way she was going to get out of this meeting.

"I don't find him anymore trustworthy than the next guy, but I do know that if he is reaching out, we should try to gain his trust. We will remain as professional as possible. Now if you will excuse me, I have the capital on hold." Joan said.

Annie left Joan's office and walked down the halls to the tech room. She slid the door open to find Auggie and Barber talking about some computer codes that they had recently processed. "Annie, what a pleasant surprise." Auggie said with a mocking tone. She walked straight to his desk and leaned against the glass.

"We have to cancel our dinner tonight, Auggie." Annie said. She saw the curious look on his face and clarified. "Ben called again. He wants us to meet him at Vesta tonight."

"Us?" Auggie asked. He knew that wasn't good.

"He wants to talk to you and Joan, too." Annie replied. She knew by the tone of his voice that he was concerned. "He will be waiting for us at six." Annie said.

"Do you know what he wants to talk about?" Auggie questioned. He voice was smooth, but he knew that Annie would see right through his facade.

"Not a clue..." Annie sighed. "I just hope it's not something that requires us to work with him. I don't trust him and I don't like that he wants to talk to us about anything. I don't want anything to do with the guy."

"Oh, ouch. That hurt, and it wasn't even directed at me..." Auggie feigned hurt. "I'm just glad that I'm not on the receiving end of your anger."

"I am angry, but not for the reasons that everybody thinks. I am mad because he will be interrupting our first date." Annie said honestly.

"Oh, is that what it is, Walker? A date?" Auggie asked sarcastically. Annie lightly hit his arm. The conversation had gone from serious to light in a matter of seconds thanks to Auggie. "You know what, Annie, I'm not gonna let him ruin our night. I say that after the meeting with Joan, you and I go get a slice of pizza and a beer."

"That sounds like fun. Anderson, you've got yourself a date." Annie said, nudging his shoulder lightly.

Barber cleared his throat. "Guys, I don't want to be rude, but it's already five and I know how long it takes a woman to get ready..." Barber gave Annie a glance and she blushed.

"Hey, I resent that!" Annie joked. "Besides why couldn't I just wear what I'm wearing now?" She quipped.

"Nevermind," Barber said. "I don't want to get into trouble with your boyfriend over there. He can really throw a punch, as far as I've heard."

"Awe, come on Barber. Give me a little credit." Auggie chuckled. "I would never hurt a co-worker on purpose. Just don't sneak up on me at night." Annie giggled.

"Cut it out, you two. Auggie, we have to go." Annie said sweetly.


	4. The Meet

Annie stepped out of her car and into the Vesta parking lot at exactly five fifty-nine. She heard Auggie get out behind her and turned to look at him. "Well, I guess he's going to keep us waiting." Annie said as she let Auggie take hold of his usual spot on her arm.

"Does that really surprise you?" Joan's voice came from behind them. Joan was not in her usual work clothes. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. This was not something that Annie was use to seeing her in.

"Not really," Annie said. "Just thought that he would actually be on time for once."

"I am." Ben's voice came from behind Annie and Auggie. Annie turned to look at him. He was wearing a deep black suit and a grey tie. "Hello Annie." Ben said with his usual charm. "And I see you have brought your boyfriend. He was your distraction the other night, no doubt." Ben finished smoothly.

Auggie put his arm around Annie's waist protectively. Annie mimicked his actions, but kept her other hand at her side. "Nice to see you again, so to speak." Auggie said. He kept his voice light, even though he was worried about Ben's intentions for bringing them all here.

"Ah, Mr. Anderson. How have you been?" Ben asked. Auggie's grip on Annie's waist tightened. Ben saw this action and decided to put in his two cents. "A little overprotective don't you think? I'm quite sure that you can handle yourself, Annie."

"I do believe you called us here for a reason." Joan interrupted. Annie thanked her lucky stars that she did, too. She did not want a fight on her hands. Not that she thought Auggie couldn't handle himself, she just thought that if it could be avoided then it should be.

"Ah, yes, of course. Please, follow me." Ben led them into the restaurant. He sat down at the same table Henry had the night before. Annie had a terrible feeling in her gut that this would not be a smooth conversation.

"So what did you need to tell us?" Annie questioned. She could see Ben's mouth twitch upwards into a grin before returning to his previous blank face.

"You get right to the point," Ben said flatly. "Is there something else that you would rather be doing?" He knew how to push Annie's buttons, that was for sure. Joan cleared her throat. Ben looked back to Joan. "I have come across some intel that there may be a worm within the agency. I believe that they are feeding information to Henry Wilcox."

Annie kept her face purely stone and leaned forward, placing her arms on the table. "What would make you think that?" Annie questioned. She knew that if she were to stay quiet, Joan would become suspicious.

"A little birdie told me." Ben said slyly. "Who told me though, is not the problem. Why they told me is. I believe that Mr. Wilcox is seeking revenge of his son's death. He has been known to have always had a way into the agency, even when he was imprisoned. He always seems to be one step ahead of the team that is looking into him."

"And how would one be able to catch him in the act?" Joan asked. She knew where their conversation was headed, so she thought to take it upon herself to speed up the process.

"Well, that is why I contacted Annie. I know that I cannot do this on my own, and I know that she was there when-" Annie cut him off.

"Are you suggesting that I reach out to Henry? I am not going to be a part of one of your off the book missions." Annie said, barely above a whisper.

As she got up to leave, Ben said something that she didn't expect. "That is why I invited not only your boss, but your boyfriend too. You cannot get into trouble with the agency if Mr. Anderson creates an Op that makes it look as though it came from the men upstairs and your boss approves it." Annie turned back on her heel.

"What makes you think that I would help you with this operation?" Auggie asked. "I know your history, you are not someone that I would foresee myself trusting with any of our lives."

"Any of your lives, or just her life?" Ben asked. Auggie knew that he was referring to Annie. He heard Annie's heels walking towards the exit, and got up to follow her. "You shouldn't trust her." Ben said as Auggie followed her out the door.

"Hey, you okay?" Auggie asked when he found her sitting on the curb. He sat down beside her with a little help from her shoulder.

"Fine, I just can't believe he wanted to use us like that..."Annie said as she put her head in her hands.

"Don't let him get to you. I know that he thinks that he can push your buttons and get you to snap, but that's exactly what he wants, so don't give it to him." Auggie said as he found her hand and entangled his fingers with hers. "Besides, I can't have my date crying." Auggie joked to lighten the mood. He knew exactly how to make her laugh, even when she couldn't even smile...

"Oh my god, I almost forgot about our date..." Annie thought out loud. She leaned her head on his shoulders and he leaned his chin against it. "I'm sorry I let him ruin our night." Annie said regretfully.

"Who says he ruined our night? I bet we can still salvage it." Auggie said as he stood up and reached out for Annie's hand. She took it graciously and stood up to follow him, just as Joan walked out of the restaurant.


	5. The Date

"I will see you both on Monday." Joan said as she made her way to her car. Annie looked up at her.

Just as Joan was opening her door, Auggie spoke up. "What did he say after we left?" Auggie asked.

"I will talk to you about it on Monday, goodnight." Joan got into her car and backed out of the parking lot. She pulled out her cell phone as she drove off, but Annie didn't know who she was calling.

"Well, that was weird." Annie mentioned as she and Auggie got into her car. He reached across the console and held her hand.

"I'm sure everything will be fine." Auggie told her, though she could tell that he wasn't so sure of it. "Joan wouldn't go against the agency." Auggie reassured her.

"Would she?" Annie asked, Auggie could hear the genuine fear that laced her words. "I mean if she was given enough of a reason to, I don't know..." Annie's voice hitched.

"Annie, I'm sure that Joan will do the right thing. She always does." Auggie promised.

"You're right." Annie sighed. She put the car in reverse and pulled towards the exit of the parking lot, only to stop at the exit. "Where are we going, anyway?" Annie asked.

"Walker, you know I would never make it that easy." Auggie quipped and squeezed her hand.

"Which way?" Annie asked, she knew that he was going to make this difficult for her.

"Turn left, then go turn right at the second intersection." Auggie said. He knew the route by heart. He had only been there once before, but he made sure that he remembered every twist and turn so he wouldn't have to tell Annie exactly where they were headed.

"I have an old buddy who owes me a favor," Auggie told her as they pulled into the intersection. "I told him that it was time for me to cash in those chips."

"Which way now?" Annie asked as she listened to his story. She never understood how so many people owed Auggie favors.

"Left, then drive until you reach a dead end." Auggie resumed his story, "Anyway, he told me that he was going to be out of town, but that I could stop by anyway." Auggie finished. Annie watched ahead of her vehicle as the scenery changed to an archway of trees that were just beginning to change colors.

Her car reached the end of the road, and she unbuckled her seat belt. Auggie let go of her hand and ran his hand up to her cheek in the same way that he had the previous night. She, again, leaned into his touch. He leaned over and kissed her cheek before unbuckling his own seat belt and opening his door. He unfolded his cane and made his way around to her door, opening it for her. Annie stepped out of the car and allowed Auggie to claim his usual hold on her arm.

"Annie, would you open the trunk?" Auggie asked. Annie went to open the trunk, but then hesitated. "Something wrong?"

"What's in the trunk?" Annie asked, her eyes never leaving Auggie's face. His mouth upturned into a smile.

"Open it," Auggie urged. He chuckled when he heard her stick the key into the lock. This, of course, caused her to hesitate again.

"There's not a bomb waiting to go off is there?" Annie quipped. She didn't wait for an answer, she just turned the key and opened the trunk. Inside was a small cooler and a small blanket. She reached out to grab them, but Auggie stopped her. He cupped her face again and gave her the softest kiss. Annie's arms instinctively went around his neck as he entangled his hands in her hair. They broke apart only seconds later.

"How did you manage to get that into my trunk without me noticing?" Annie asked. She was sure that she hadn't left Auggie's side since they were at the office.

"Walker, your agent skills are failing you. Can't let you guard down... ever..." He joked, but it was also serious advice. Annie smirked at him before grabbing the cooler and blanket from the trunk and shut it. Auggie grabbed her arm and led her to a pathway in the trees. He unfolded his cane and continued to walk with her to the end of the path.

"Auggie..." Annie gasped when the reached the end. It was a cliff that was overlooking the whole city. She could see the lights of the late night traffic and he could smell the soft hint of flowers that the forest still held. "It's beautiful."

"Thought you'd like it," He said semi-sweetly. "Reminded me of camping when I was little." He finished. Auggie searched for Annie's hand, but instead of taking hold of it, he slowly took the blanket from her. She let him pull the blanket free and saw him lay it out. It was just barely big enough that they would have to sit extremely close to each other.

Annie, on the other hand, had different ideas. She set the cooler down quietly and went over to where he stood. She suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and stepped onto her tip-toes to kiss him. He let his hands find her waist and held her tightly against him. His arms moved up to wrap around her ribs and he pulled her to his height as he had done the night before. Annie giggled as she realized how similar it was to their first kiss.

She pulled back, just for a second, to catch her breath. When their lips met again, it was a frenzy. Annie stepped back and tripped over the cooler, causing her to fall onto the blanket, pulling Auggie with her. He fell on top of her, but they just continued to kiss.


	6. The Surprise Visit

Annie smiled into the kiss as they hit the ground. She held onto his jacket as tight as she could. His arms were still holding her as close as humanly possible. She was tugging at his jacket, trying to free his arms down to only his button-down shirt. Auggie complied, but his arms were instantly wrapped around her again, holding her closer than before.

His arms roamed up her back until he found her hair and entangled his fingers in it. He shifted his head for better access to her mouth. Her hands found their way to his waist and she wrapped her arms around him again. Auggie slowly pulled away from her kiss. Annie looked at him worriedly, not that he would know.

"Auggie?" Annie asked quietly. "Is something wrong?"

Auggie leaned in and whispered in her ear. "There's someone in the trees. Act normal. Giggle as if I just said something funny." Auggie pulled his lips away from her ears. Annie giggled as if she didn't have a care in the world. To anyone else the giggle would have sounded genuine, but to someone who knew Annie well enough, the giggle sounded forced.

Annie, to keep up the appearance, kissed Auggie again, this time, though, she kept her ears open to the world around her. Then, she sat up, causing Auggie to do the same. She leaned forward and grabbed the cooler. "We don't want our food to go to waste." Annie taunted. She knew that if she were to keep kissing Auggie, her senses couldn't be on high alert.

"Almost forgot about that. I was a little preoccupied." Auggie said. He kept his voice light to keep from notifying whoever was in the trees that he was onto him.

"Auggie?" A voice asked as its body walked out from the path that they had come from. Auggie's face lifted into a slight smile.

"Laurel," Auggie replied. Annie relaxed a little when she realized that Auggie knew the man. "Thought you said you would still be in Michigan."

"I was, until this afternoon. I needed some time to think about things with Jenny. She's been really stressed since the engagement." The man, Annie guessed Laurel, said. He looked from Auggie to Annie. "Oh, sorry. Hi," He said sticking out his hand for Annie to shake, which she gladly did. "My name is Jake Laurel. I'm a friend of Auggie's."

"Hi, I'm Annie. I'm, uh, Auggie's girlfriend. I..." Annie hesitated, "We're dating, I think." Annie finished. She really wasn't sure what they were. They hadn't really discussed what they were, they just were what they were.

"Dating?" Auggie asked, eyebrows raised. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. "I was sure that we were. Hmm." Auggie said in a reassuring tone.

"You must be something special. Auggie's never asked if he could bring anyone up here before. He said it was like a sanctuary last time he was here. He said that he wouldn't want people to ruin the beauty." Jake said. He noticed that Annie blushed when she heard that she was the first person Auggie had brought here. "Well, um, sorry Auggie. I forgot about your date." Jake said as he began to walk away.

"No please, join us. It sounds as if you have a lot on your mind, and we have extra sandwiches. Don't let them go to waste." Auggie said, hopefully.

"No, I couldn't intrude on your date." Jake said.

"No, please stay." Annie said. "I would love to hear about how you and Auggie became friends."

"Are you sure?" Jake asked unsure.

"Absolutely." Auggie said. "Besides, you still have to tell me how you proposed."

"Okay," Jake said as he sat down. He sat to the corner of the blanket, and Auggie sat on the opposite corner, Annie almost in his lap."We were at the diner where we met. We had gone there a lot lately, I don't know why. Anyway, when we sat down at the booth, and we ordered, I slipped the ring into her silverware napkin. When our food arrived, and she unrolled her silverware, I got down on one knee. She almost choked on her fries." He smiled at the memory. "When she said yes, I was in a daze. I actually don't quite remember hearing her response, I just remember kissing her and smiling and feeling happy."

"Wow, sounds romantic." Annie said. She leaned her head on Auggie's shoulder. He kissed her forehead and grabbed hold of her hand.

"It was. I love her so much, but she's been so stressed with planning the wedding. I told her that I would be fine with a small wedding, but she wants a big party, so that's what she'll get." Jake said. " She's so determined that I'm absolutely positive she'll make it happen."

"I'm sure everything will turn out alright." Auggie reassured Jake. "You two were meant to be." Auggie smiled as Annie yawned. "Well, I guess we better get going. I can't have my girlfriend being tired." Auggie joked as he helped Annie up.

"Yeah, I guess we should. It was really nice to meet you Jake. I hope everything turns out alright. I'm sure it will be a beautiful wedding." Annie said as she picked up the blanket and began to fold it back up. She heard Auggie unfolding his cane behind her as she picked up the cooler. He held his usual spot on her arm as they made their way back to the car, leaving Jake alone with his thoughts.

"He was nice. I enjoyed meeting him, but I still don't know how you two met." Annie said as she put the blanket in the trunk. She kissed Auggie before they got into the car and pulled away.


	7. The Beer

Annie pulled into a parking spot by Auggie's apartment. She heard him unbuckle his seat belt quietly. She did the same, but before she managed to open her door, Auggie's hand was on her shoulder. Annie looked over towards him. He smiled when he felt her hair shift from one direction to another, knowing that she was looking at him, waiting for him to speak. He never did, so she spoke up first.

"I had fun tonight. Jake seems to be a good guy." Annie said. She didn't know what Auggie wanted to talk about, but she was sure that he wanted to talk.

"Yeah, he is." Auggie agreed. Annie saw him hesitate before continuing. "Do you wanna come up for a beer?" Auggie asked unsure. Annie saw a hopeful glint in his eyes, even in the dim lighting of the streetlight.

Annie smiled, "Sure." Auggie's eyes got a happy glint before returning to normal.

Auggie smiled. "Okay, then, after you." Auggie said as he got out of the car. Annie mimicked his motions and locked the car as she led the way to the elevator. Once the doors closed, Annie turned to Auggie and grasped his hand. She reached up and touched his cheek.

"Auggie, are you okay? You were quiet the whole car ride." Annie said, concern clear in her voice. She saw his face go blank.

"I'm fine, just thinking about tonight." Auggie replied smoothly. The elevator doors opened and Auggie stepped off and went towards his door. Annie followed him and waited for him to pull the door back before they stepped inside. Auggie took his shoes off and placed them by the door. Annie did the same before following him into the living room and sitting beside him on the couch.

"Auggie?" Annie asked quietly. He lifted his head in her general direction and she stared into his deep brown eyes.

"Hmm?" He hummed. He felt felt out her hand from her arm and held it lightly.

"What are we?" Annie asked. She had been thinking of the question all night ever since she had tried to explain to Jake what they were.

"We are... I don't know actually..."Auggie said as he toyed with her fingers. He smiled as Annie leaned against his shoulder and sighed. "But I do know that whatever we are, we work good together." Auggie said, trying to lighten the mood. He knew it worked because he heard her lightly chuckle.

"I'm being serious Auggie. I don't know what we-" Auggie cut her off with a soft kiss to her lips. His hand rested on her neck and he kept her close. "Are." she finished.

"We are what we are, but that doesn't mean I care any less." Auggie said before he kissed her again. She kissed him back this time with passion. She put her arms around his neck and leaned into his kiss. His arms instinctively went around her and pulled her to him. She was almost completely on top of him when the separated for breath. Annie was panting.

Auggie decided that he would use this time to crack one of his famous jokes that he knew Annie found hilarious. "I do believe I just won the award for World's Best Kisser." He mocked. Annie gently punched his arm. Then she leaned in and kissed him again, this time she caught him off guard and laughed into the kiss when it took him a few seconds to register what was happening.

She slipped his jacket off without him noticing, but when she went to undue the first , he surprised her by changing their positions. He was now laying on top of her, kissing her gently. He decided to make it interesting and mid-kiss he stood up. He could tell that Annie was some-what confused. He simply walked to the kitchen, opened the fridge and grabbed two beers before popping off the lids and returning to where Annie sat, confused.

He sat down next to her and handed her one of the beers. "That's the reason I asked you up here, isn't it?" Auggie said nonchalantly. Annie just smiled as she took a sip of her beer.

"You're really something," Annie said as she held the beer in her hands, toying with the label.

"Yes, but I'm your something." He quipped as he leaned back against the sofa. Annie just giggled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. He felt her breath on his cheek before she could kiss him so he turned his head so that her kiss landed on his lips. "Just can't get enough of me, huh?" Auggie asked playfully.

"Nope," Annie said as she leaned against his shoulder and took another sip of her beer. He pulled her closer so that she was lying with her head in his lap. Auggie began running his finger through her hair, gently brushing out her loose curls.

"You're staring. I can tell," Auggie said. Annie just simply nodded. "Why? Like what you see?" Auggie joked.

"Yeah, but I'm also just thinking. I heard Ben say something tonight that worries me." Annie said quietly.

"And what would that be?" Auggie's hand hesitated in her hair for a moment before returning to its path of curls.

"He said that you shouldn't trust me." Auggie's hand stopped all together.

"And why would that worry you?" Auggie quizzed.

"Because I thought you would believe that you had a reason not to. That's how he works, he puts doubts into people's heads to get what he wants. I've seen it happen before. I've lived it before..." Annie trailed off.

"I'm not going anywhere. I trust you, Annie. Him, not so much... But I trust you." Auggie said as he bagan running his fingers through her hair again. He leaned down and kissed her slowly again.


	8. Good Morning

Annie woke up the next morning in Auggie's arms on the couch. She didn't need to open her eyes to know that he was awake. He must have noticed a difference in her breathing because he kissed her forehead.

"Morning," Annie said as she opened her eyes and see the gentle rays of light sneaking into the living room through Auggie's curtains.

"And I thought you could sleep forever." Auggie quipped. He felt Annie's movements as she moved to face the other direction in his arms.

"What time is it?" She asked sleepily. She felt Auggie's arms tighten around her as she leaned forward to get up.

"Probably about eleven." He said smoothly. He knew Annie would freak out when she found out that she slept late.

"Eleven?" Annie asked shocked. "Why did you let me sleep so late?"

"You needed your rest. I know you haven't gotten much sleep since you got back." Auggie replied as he let her get up. He didn't like the empty feeling his arms felt without her.

"I get enough sleep." Annie said as she walked in to the kitchen to make some coffee. Auggie gathered their beer bottles from the previous night and put them into the trashcan.

"Enough sleep to function to function, maybe. But you were really tired, and I can't have my girlfriend falling asleep during the day." Auggie wrapped his arms around Annie who was standing by the coffeemaker waiting impatiently for the coffee to brew. Annie leaned into his touch and yawned. "My point exactly," He remarked.

"It's a morning yawn, Auggie. Even when I have slept for days, I yawn." Annie said as she found two mugs and poured their coffee.

"My lady hibernates? Nice to know." Auggie joked as he took the mug that she had placed in front of him.

"I don't hibernate," Annie said as she took a sip of her coffee.

"So you lied to me?" Auggie joked. He took a long sip of his coffee, so now the mug was almost half empty.

"How do you do that?" Annie asked. Annie saw Auggie's confusion, so she clarified. "How do you turn a conversation around so quickly."

"A magician never tells his secrets. Besides, knowing you, this skill of mine could come in handy." Auggie said before finishing off his coffee and going over to the sink to wash it.

"Oh, so now it's a skill?" Annie asked sarcastically. She heard Auggie turn on the faucet. She went over to lean against the counter near the sink while he washed his cup. He noticed and reached out for hers, but she surprised him by scooting him out of the way while she washed her _own_ mug.

"And self-reliant, too?" He asked as she put her mug back in the cabinet along with his. Annie just chuckled.

"There's more to me than fighting skills, Auggie." Annie said as she turned around and put her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her waist as he leaned in to kiss her. Annie slowly ran her fingers through his hair as the kiss deepened. After a moment of oxygen deprivation, she had to reluctantly pull back.

They rested their foreheads together for a moment. Annie decided that because he had played the mind game with her last night, it was her turn. She deepened the kiss and fussed with his collar. Once about half of his buttons were undone, she pulled back from him and separated.

"You should go shower, your hair is a mess." She said as she sat on the counter. She saw Auggie's eyes widen in confusion for a second before they got a mischievous glint.

"Is that how you're playing it, Walker?" He asked as he backed away from her. He finished unbuttoning his shirt before he took off his shirt, effectively leaving his bare chest in Annie's sight. He walked out of the room and towards the bathroom.

He heard Annie sigh as he walked away. Yeah, he had the desired effect on her. Before he closed the bathroom door, he shouted, "Next time, you're coming with me."

He heard Annie yell back a response, "You wish." Auggie closed the door and stripped before stepping into the shower.

* * *

When he came out of the bathroom, he smelled something cooking. He smiled and walked towards the smell of food. "And look at that, ladies and gentlemen. She cooks too." He said as he entered the kitchen with a big grin on his face.

"Haha. Very funny." Annie remarked sarcastically as she put the bacon onto a plate, followed by pancakes with blueberries. "Danielle isn't the only one who can cook."

"I bet it's delicious." Auggie said as he got out some forks.

"It better be, it took me forever to find your pancake mix." Annie joked. Annie opened the fridge and pulled out the carton of orange juice and the gallon of milk. "Orange juice or milk?" She asked.

"Orange juice. Whipped cream or syrup?" Auggie asked as he joined her by the fridge.

"Both, I guess." Annie said as she put the milk back, exactly where she found it. She moved out of the way so Auggie could get the rest. As Auggie closed the fridge, Annie pulled out two glasses and poured both of them some orange juice. She put the container back in the fridge before sitting down across from Auggie.

"Can you pass the whipped cream?" Annie asked as she finished pouring syrup on her small stack of pancakes. Auggie handed her the whipped cream and she piled it on. Auggie smirked when he heard the squirting of the can.

"Keep that up, and I will need to make a trip to the store for more whipped cream." He joked as Annie put it down.

"Whats wrong with a little guilty pleasure?" Annie asked slightly embarrassed.


	9. Car Rides

Auggie hung up his cell phone and put it back in his pocket. He smiled when he heard Annie come out of the bathroom in the clothes that he knew she had kept in her car.

"You up for a little trip today?" Auggie asked when she got close enough to hear. She put her arms around his neck and he put his around her waist before she answered.

"Sure, but only if it means that I get to go home and grab some more clothes afterward." Annie said. "I can't wear the same thing to work on Monday and this isn't exactly work attire." She said. She was wearing a plain t-shirt and some comfortable jeans. Auggie felt the back of her shirt and smiled.

"I think you will be just fine for what we are doing today, though." Annie smiled, grateful to have Auggie in her life. "Now, if you will follow me." Auggie said as they slipped on their shoes and out the door. Annie watched as he locked the door before getting into the elevator and finding the lobby button with his fingers.

Annie handed Auggie his cane before they walked out of his apartment building. He smiled at the small gesture that she already knew when he needed it and when he didn't. He held onto her arm as they headed out into the bus streets. Annie saw the car that Auggie had called in ahead of time and waved.

The driver opened the door and said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Anderson. I see you have a friend accompanying you today." He smiled at Annie who smiled back politely as Auggie gave her arm a squeeze.

"This wonderful creature is actually my girlfriend." Auggie said as he got into the back seat. He really knew how to make Annie blush. And she both loved it and hated it.

"I see. Well, how lovely it is to meet you Ms.?"

"Call me Annie." She replied as she slid in next to Auggie. Auggie waited for the driver to close the door before he spoke.

"He probably knows more about you than he lets on." He whispered. "He works for the agency." Auggie said quickly before the driver's door opened and shut.

"Mr. Anderson, it is so nice to finally meet the mysterious Annie that I always hear so much about." The driver said. He then turned around to face Annie, "I'm Jim, by the way. I have heard a lot about you. He is always talking about something that you said or something that you taught him.

"Nice to meet you, Jim. Don't listen to a word he says; I'm sure they're all lies." Annie said before leaning against Auggie's shoulder.

"I'm sure they are, Ms. Walker." Jim said coolly before turning around and starting the car.

"Told you he knew more about you than he lets on." Auggie whispered in her ear before he found her hand and held onto it.

"I didn't really believe you... until now." She whispered back. "But I am curious to know what I taught you. You're supposed to be the one teaching me." She held onto his hand for a while and stared out the window. All of a sudden, a thought hit her. "Auggie, where are we going?" Annie asked.

"That is for me to know and you never to find out... Got to stick with the protocol." Auggie joked.

"Auggie, I'm serious." Annie replied, but she couldn't keep the playful tone out of her voice.

Jim looked in the rear-view mirror and smiled. "I am sure you will love it, Annie. Mr. Anderson has quite a day planned for the two of you."

Auggie smiled mischievously. "I told you that he worked for the agency. He has to follow protocol too."

"Then read me in." Annie said, now getting a little agitated, but not enough to not enjoy what Auggie was doing.

"It's above your clearance. Strictly need-to-know basis." Auggie replied, almost automatically.

"If I am going to be in the field, I need to know what I am getting myself into." Annie remarked. She knew that she wasn't going to get it out of him, he did work for the CIA, afterall, but she still felt like she had to go down swinging.

"ETA in three minutes." Jim said from the front seat as he made a left turn onto a busy street.

"Where could we be going around here?" Annie asked curiously. As she looked around, she saw the Washington Monument, The Smithsonian, and The Lincoln Memorial.

"You'll see." Auggie said, dropping the act and kissing her cheek.

"We have arrived." Jim said, getting out of the car and opening Annie's door. Annie got out and waited for Auggie to follow her. She looked around as Jim closed the door behind them and gave Annie a smile. She still looked nervous, so he assured her, "You will love it. Mr. Anderson, call me when you would like to be picked up."

"Thanks Jim." Auggie said as he unfolded his cane and held onto Annie's arm.

Annie waited for Jim to pull away before speaking. "The Three Soldiers?"

"Danielle told me that you haven't been to this restaurant in ears." Auggie said as they walked into the bust restaurant. He refolded his cane and called over a waitress.

"You talked to my sister?" Annie asked shocked.

"Why is that such a surprise?" Auggie asked, in his usual tone. "Remember who we work for," He whispered in her ear. "I know how to get intel out of anybody."

"You've never gotten intel out of me." Annie joked slyly.

"You're right, Walker, but you were trained by me, so that may never happen." Auggie replied easily.

"Never happen? Oh, Auggie, I think you are overestimating my abilities." Annie answered as they sat down.


	10. Lunch Date

Annie and Auggie had just ordered when Annie spoke up. "Auggie, why did you go through so much trouble to bring me here?" Annie nervously added, "I mean, we could have just gotten some takeout or something."

"It wasn't that much trouble, Annie. Especially considering how much trouble you get into at work." Auggie replied, worried that he might scare her off. But instead she just reached for his hand on the table and held it.

"Thanks." was all she said.

"What was that for?" Auggie asked.

"Everything." Annie answered. "Just for saving my ass all those times and having my back, no matter what everybody else said." Auggie din't answer. He just held her hand tighter and didn't let go.

"I mean it, Auggie. If you weren't there all those times..." Annie trailed off. Auggie put his other hand over hers and smiled slightly.

"Alright, who had the ham and cheese wrap? And who had the burger and fries?"

"Burger and fries." Annie said, separating her hands from Auggie's to make room for the plates.

"Guess that makes me the ham and cheese wrap." Auggie said jokingly.

"Let me know if I can get you anything else," The waitress said before she walked away.

"Must be her first week." Auggie said to Annie.

"Guess so, the job hasn't sucked the life out of her." Annie joked.

"No, she sounded too nervous when she took our orders." Auggie replied.

"Oh, I just thought she was happy for the job." Annie said stuffing a fry in her mouth.

"Excuse me, sir." A little girl was tugging on Auggie's shirt sleeve. He looked in her general direction.

"Yes?" Auggie asked. To Auggie, the little girl didn't sound scared, so she probably wasn't lost.

"Thanks for serving our country." She said. Annie saw the little girl raise her hand to her forehead.

"At ease soldier." A man said coming up behind the little girl.

"Hi Daddy." The little girl said, looking up at her dad.

"She knows a soldier when she sees one." The man said.

"And I can tell when he's a war hero." The kid interrupted. Her dad picked her up and put her on his back.

"So, I'm guessing you served?" Annie asked.

"Yeah, did two tours in Iraq. Then I met her mother and fell in love and came home to raise a family." The man said. "Anyway it was nice to see a fellow serviceman. Have a nice day. Hoo-rah." The man said.

"Hoo-rah." Auggie replied. And then the man was gone.

"Wow. Smart girl," was all Annie could think of to say.

"They usually are." Auggie agreed. "Especially when they're being raised by their dads."

"What do you mean?" Annie asked, confused.

"His wife died. Probably about a year ago... I could hear it in his voice when he talked about her." Auggie explained.

"You got all that from a two-minute conversation?" Annie asked. Auggie's ability to pick up on the way people said things still amazed her.

"What can I say?" Auggie played. "It's a gift."

Annie could feel the mood of the conversation shifting back to light banter. She knew that Auggie probably knew what he was doing, but she didn't say anything about it. Instead, she said, "A gift, huh?"

"Jealous?" Auggie quipped.

"Not even a little because I have a good teacher." Annie replied. "It doesn't take natural talent when you have a teacher like mine."

"And who would this teacher be? I'd like to meet him." Auggie said, reaching for her hand. It was becoming one of their usual banter moments.

"Well, he's tall, dark and handsome. Kinda cute if you ask me." She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "He's a pretty decent hacker too."

"A hacker?" Auggie asked lowly. "Walker, what have you gotten yourself into?"

"Nothing that I can't handle." She said before she kissed his cheek and sat back.

"Are you done with that?" The waitress interrupted them. Annie looked down at their empty plates and smiled.

"Yeah, I guess we are." Annie said.

"Can I get you anything else?" The waitress asked.

"Just the check." Auggie said.

"Okay, just give me a moment." She said as she walked toward the kitchen with their plates. She returned a minute later holding the check in her hands. Auggie inserted his card into the folder and she disappeared again.

"Thanks for lunch." Annie said, "I really needed to get out."

"My pleasure, Walker." Auggie said as the waitress returned and handed him his card.

"Here you go." The waitress said in a chipper voice. "Have a nice day."

Annie and Auggie got up from the table and Annie led him to the door. Auggie unfolded his cane before they exited the restaurant onto the streets. Annie led them over to a park bench near the restaurant.

"I'm going to call Jim. He's got somewhere else to take us." Auggie said as they sat down.

"Where are we going now?" Annie asked.

"Protocol." Auggie repeated his words from earlier.

"Remember what I said about my teacher?" Annie asked. Auggie just smirked. "Well, as it turns out he has a soft spot for me. He would tell me."

"If he's half as good as you say he is, then he would never break protocol." Auggie replied.

"But he would. And you know it." Annie joked.

"Maybe your teacher would, but I wouldn't." Auggie said.

"You are my teacher." Annie said.

"Oh," Auggie feigned surprise. "By the way that you talked about him, I thought he was a god."

"Not a god, just an ordinary guy." Annie said. Anyone who would've heard their conversation could tell that their was a hidden meaning in their words.

"Oh, so now I'm ordinary." Auggie asked. "I beg to differ."

"Begging will get you nowhere." Annie played.


	11. Her Choice

Annie and Auggie got into the back of the car. Jim closed the door behind them and got into the driver's seat.

"Alright, Mr. Anderson. Where are we headed?" Jim asked.

"Back to Annie's place." Auggie answered.

"What?" Annie asked.

"I promised to let you get clothes. Remember?" Auggie answered.

"Ms. Walker, are you okay with this arrangement?" Jim asked from the front seat.

"Yes, of course. And I told you, call me Annie." Annie said.

"Of course, Annie." Jim said. "So what are you two planning on doing tomorrow?"

"We don't know yet." Annie said. The she curiously looked to Auggie. "Do _you?_" Annie asked.

"Nope." Auggie said mischievously.

"Good, because maybe I have an idea of my own." Annie said before they pulled into her driveway.

"We have arrived. Would you like me to wait?" Jim said as Annie and Auggie began to unbuckle their seat belts.

"I think we've got it. Jim, I can take it from here. Why don't you go home and see your family." Annie said.

"Mr. Anderson?" Jim asked, hope clear in his voice.

"Jim, go home." Auggie said.

"Thank you."

"Anytime." Annie said before slowly pulling Auggie out of the car behind her. Annie waited for Jim to pull out of the driveway before she led Auggie up to her room in the guesthouse.

"So, what are we doing tomorrow?" Auggie questioned.

* * *

"Hey, do you want some tacos?" Annie asked as she zipped up her bag.

"Tacos?" Auggie asked. "Where would we get tacos around here?"

"I can cook." Annie said simply. "Unless you're in the mood for something else..."

"No, tacos sound great." Auggie assured her. "Do you have taco mix?"

"Nope, I make mine from scratch." Annie said.

"Mmmm... Homemade tacos do sound good." Auggie said.

"But?" Annie asked.

"I think this sounds better." Auggie said. He kissed her slow and sweet.

"Mmmm... You're right. It does sound better," Annie said before kissing him again. "But I'm starving..." Annie said, messing with Auggie.

"Well, I can't have my girlfriend starving... That would be bad for my reputation." Auggie said playfully.

"Your reputation?" Annie asked, joking.

"Well, I guess it's not that much of a reputation if you haven't heard it." Auggie said. He paused before continuing. "Might be a good thing."

"And why is that?" Annie asked. She distracted him by playing with the collar of his shirt as she talked. "It's not like I don't already know your track record."

"Well, however true that may be, Walker, there are some things a man does not want getting out." Auggie joked.

"Such as?" Annie quizzed.

"You're not going to get get it out of me that easily. I was trained by the best of the best." Auggie said.

"The best, huh?" Annie playfully teased. Let's see what I can do with their handiwork."

"Is that an invitation, Walker?" Auggie played back.

"Only if you want it to be." Annie said as she unbuttoned his top button.

Auggie's arms wrapped tighter around her waist. He pulled her closer. She had just begun to unbutton the second button when he began to softly kiss her neck. She began her work on his third button when his hands found the hem of her shirt. He didn't mess with it, he just let his hands linger there.

"You sure about this Walker?" Auggie asked, semi-seriously.

"Yeah." She said simply. As she unbuttoned the fourth button, she could see his undershirt clinging to his body.

"Okay." Was all he responded before he kissed her again. This kiss was intense. The kind of kiss that you only see in movies.

Annie kissed him back and worked her way through the rest of the buttons. Auggie shed his button-down. He began to gently pull up her shirt when he heard his cell phone. "Call from: Jake." His phone read out.

Annie pulled back hesitantly. "Do you want to get that?" She asked in a low voice.

"Nah, let it ring." Auggie said. "I'm sure he will understand." That caused Annie to giggle. She leaned back in and kissed him, her hands weaving back into his hair. Auggie pulled on Annie's hem hesitantly. Annie removed her hands from Auggie's hair long enough to remove her shirt.

Her hands immediately went back into Auggie's hair. Shivers went down her spine when she felt Auggie's hands roaming up and down her back. She felt her arms being covered with goosebumps. Auggie must have noticed too, because he leaned back and smiled at her. She recognized that smile. It was the same smile that he used when he was happy; when they were sparring, when they were having a beer, and the same one she had seen an awful lot since the other night.

His hands slowly climbed up her back until they reached the bottom of her hair. He threaded his fingers through her loose curls. Annie pulled up on his undershirt and he complied. His now bare chest was free for Annie to admire, not that she hadn't seen it before, but it was somehow different now.

Annie's arms went back around his neck and he hoisted her up. She wrapped her lags around his waist and he stepped back so that the back of his legs were against the bed. He fell back and Annie laughed at his shocked expression when he did so.

Without moving, she pushed her bag off the side of the bed. He smiled when he heard it slide off and land quietly on the floor.

"What?" Annie asked lightly.

"Nothing," he said, then kissed her again. This kiss was slower, more careful and Annie leaned into his touch as his arms went back down to her waist.

"Meow," a little cat's voice sounded. Annie looked up and she could tell Auggie's ears were searching, too.


	12. Meow

"Meow..." Annie slowly leaned back and looked for any sight of a cat.

"Strange... I wasn't aware that I owned a cat." Annie joked as she allowed Auggie to get off the bed.

"You're not the only one, Walker." Auggie replied as he searched for his cane. Annie handed it to him from off her bedside table.

"Meow," The cat's voice came again. Annie saw Auggie look in the direction that she supposed the cat's voice must have been coming from. "Meow..."

"It sounds like it's coming from downstairs." Auggie said. He found Annie's shirt beside the bed and handed it to her.

As Annie slid the shirt over her head, she replied, "It's probably just a stray."

"How did it get in?" Auggie asked as he searched for her now clothed arm to lead him down the stairs.

"I don't know." Annie said as they walked down the steps slowly.

"Meow... Meow..." The cat hummed.

"Maybe it's just hungry." Auggie suggested as they stepped onto the cool downstairs flooring.

"Maybe..." Annie agreed as she began to look for the cat.

"Meow." Annie's head jerked in the direction of the noise.

"Under the couch." Auggie said as his ears picked up the sound of the cat's heavy breathing. Annie got down onto her hands and knees and looked underneath the couch. Sure enough, there was the cat, sitting hunched over in the corner.

"It looks scared." Annie deducted. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty." Annie called.

"Maybe I could help. Got any tuna?" Auggie asked as he headed towards what he knew to be the kitchen.

"Top left cabinet, right in the front." Annie called from where she sat by the couch. She reached her hand under the couch and managed to get the cat to come toward her.

"Here, this might help." Auggie said as he returned from the kitchen with what he presumed to be a can of tuna. Annie smiled as she took the can and read the label... _Chicken of the Sea..._

"Thanks." Annie took the lid off and put the can of tuna on the floor beside her. She got up and leaned her back against Auggie's chest. His arms quickly wrapped around her torso and pulled her closer.

"What are we going to do with this little guy?" Annie asked as she watched the cat eat the tuna.

"Does he belong to one of your neighbors?" Auggie asked.

"No, not that I know of." Annie said. She glanced over at her living room window. _There..._ Annie saw a huge hole in the screen. "It must have clawed its way in." Annie thought aloud.

"What do you mean?" Auggie asked as he kissed her neck.

"I think he clawed through my window screen. There's a hole in it." Annie replied.

"Probably was really hungry if it clawed through a screen." Auggie said.

"Yeah," Annie sighed. "Well, I think that it's time that we put him back outside. I'll call my neighbors in the morning." Annie said as she separated from Auggie and reached for the little cat. It didn't hiss at her, so she took that as a good sign and picked it up. She opened the door with her free hand and set the cat down. It hurried away and Annie turned back to Auggie.

"You should probably close that window." Auggie said as he felt her wrap her arms around his neck.

"I guess," Annie said as she kissed Auggie's lips quickly.

* * *

With the window now closed and the cat taken care of, the two made their way back up to Annie's room. She immediately stripped Auggie of his shirt and backed him up against the bed again. He helped her get her shirt off and she pushed him back down onto the bed.

"No more interruptions..." Annie said as she kissed him. "I hope..." She finished as she deepened their kiss.

Auggie moved his hands up and down her back as they kissed. Annie's hands were, yet again, entangling themselves in Auggie's dark curls. He felt his way up her back, but slowed his movements as he passed across the clasp of her bra. Annie smiled as he moved his hands back up into her hair.

Annie moved her hands from his hair to his chest. She outlined every aspect of his chest with her hands as she kissed him. They pulled back for air and laid their foreheads together.

* * *

Annie laid there with her head on Auggie's chest. She could feel his chest slowly rising and falling. She smiled as she felt him wrap his arms even tighter around her waist.

"Hey," Annie smiled as she realized that he was still awake.

"Hey," Auggie replied. Her hair was tickling his nose and he twitched.

"You okay?" She asked when she felt him shake beneath her head.

"Nope," Auggie said. "I'm great."

Annie giggled. "Me too."

"What are we doing tomorrow?" Auggie asked as he began to kiss her neck sweetly. "You are the one in charge."

"Mmm..." Annie pretended to think. "I have a couple ideas..." She said as she tuned his face towards hers and kissed him back.

"Oh really?" Auggie played. "Like what?"

"Now if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise." Annie answered instinctively. It amazed her how easily they seemed to fit together. They never needed to be too careful with their conversations because no matter what it was, they could always make each other smile. Almost as if they were made for each other.

"But if you don't tell me, I'll have to find other ways to get it out of you." Auggie said as he changed positions so he was hovering above her.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Annie said. She wrapped her arms around his neck again and pulled his head close so she could kiss him.


	13. Interruptions

Annie felt Auggie's grip on her waist tighten in his sleep. She smiled as she shifted closer into his arms.

"BZZZZZZZZZ... BZZZZZZZZZZ... BZZZZZZZZZZ..." Auggie's phone began to ring on the bedside table. "Call from Jake." The phone read out. Auggie moved one of his arms from around Annie to answer the phone.

"Hey Auggie." Jake said as soon as the phone was flipped open.

"Good morning to you too." Auggie quipped as he felt Annie move from his embrace to sit on the bed.

"I need your help with something." Jake said. He sounded _nervous. _And in all the years that Auggie had known him, he had never known Jake to be nervous... Or at least he never _sounded_ nervous...

"Anything.." Auggie said as he, too, sat up on the bed. He felt Annie get up from the bed and heard her pick up a shirt from the floor and slide it on. He reached out for her waist when he heard her walk to his side of the bed.

"Can you do a little research on somebody for me? He came by the house yesterday. Someone by the name of Wilcox..." Auggie gasped and Annie worriedly looked at him.

"Wilcox?" Annie was really worried now. She heard the shock in Auggie's voice when he said his name.

"Yeah, man. He just gave me a creepy vibe. Said he had some information on your girlfriend..."

"Annie?" Auggie asked. Now Annie was _terrified,_ she had heard both her name and Henry's on just one side of the conversation with Jake.

Annie pretended to be unaware that he was still talking to Jake and asked, "Hmm?"

"Jake, are you sure that he said it was about my _current_ girlfriend?" Auggie asked. He was worried.

"Absolutely. He said that he was interested in speaking with 'Ms. Walker' and he sounded determined." Jake said.

"Okay, I will keep an eye out." Auggie said and then Jake's end of the line went dead.

"What was that about?" Annie asked.

"Henry Wilcox showed up at Jake's house yesterday and said that he wanted to talk to you." Auggie said.

"Me?" Annie asked 'shocked'.

"Yeah, any idea what it's about?" Auggie asked.

Annie thought for a moment before replying. "Maybe Ben succeeded in getting him to trust me?" Annie knew that she sounded unsure, which was the plan. "Or..." Annie trailed off.

"Or?" Auggie asked.

"Or... Maybe he wants to talk about Jai... I mean..." Annie's voice cracked as she continued, "I was there..."

Auggie wrapped both of his arms tighter around her waist and pulled her closer. "I know..." Auggie said. He kissed the top of her head and let her fall into his arms. They just sat there for the next few minutes, with her arms wrapped around his back and her face buried in his chest.

"I don't want to go through this again." Annie said quietly. Auggie wrapped his arms even tighter around her in a protective manner.

"You don't have to." He answered. She just smiled into his chest again and curled even closer into him.

* * *

Annie was making eggs for her and Auggie when she heard a knock at the door. "Who is it?" She yelled from the stove. No reply... She sighed and put the eggs on a different burner. As she opened the door she saw Ben's face. She immediately closed the door and locked it, but he didn't leave. Instead he just stood there, knocking on the door and calling her name.

"Annie... Let me in." Ben called from the other side of the door.

As Auggie left the bathroom, he found his cane on the counter and made his way to the kitchen. He heard a familiar voice calling Annie's name from outside. _Ben__..._ "Ow... Jesus!" Annie yelled.

"Annie are you okay?" Auggie asked as he found his way over to her.

"Fine, I just burned myself on the pan. I was _distracted _by the annoying pest standing outside my door." She said as she ran her hand under running water.

"I'll handle it." Auggie said as he made his way to the door. When he opened the door he asked, "Can I help you?"

"I would rather speak to Annie." Ben said smoothly.

"She isn't available at the moment, may I take a message?" Auggie replied, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"No, I will just leave it with the agency." Ben said, and then he walked away, leaving Auggie and Annie to stand there, speechless.

"Man, I can't believe that he would just show up here like-" Annie was cut off by Auggie kissing her. She took a second to react before she put her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

"Let's not worry about it." He said as they pulled back.

"Worry about what?" Annie joked.

"Nothing..." Auggie said, "Absolutely nothing..." He kissed her again.

"I should probably turn off the burner..." Annie said between kisses.

"Mmmm... You should..." Auggie mumbled.

"Yeah..." She pulled away long enough to reach over and turn the burner off. Then she kissed him again. He backed her up and pushed her against the island that he knew was in the middle of the kitchen. He lifted her onto it and continued to kiss her.

"Is this how we're going to spend our day?" Auggie said as she removed his shirt.

"Maybe..." She said drawing it out as though she was thinking about it. "Haven't decided.." She helped him pull off her shirt and she immediately resumed her assault on his mouth, _not that he minded._

* * *

_KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!_

"Ugh," Annie said as she put her shirt back on. "What is with people interrupting us today?" She mumbled to herself as she walked to answer the door. She made sure that she put her hair into a loose ponytail to conceal her _previous _ activities before she answered the door.

"Danielle?"


	14. Danielle?

"Hi Annie..." Danielle said too cheerfully.

"What are you doing here?" Annie asked.

"Can't a girl visit her baby sister?" Danielle asked.

"Annie, who is it?" Auggie shouted from the other room...

"Uh... Better come here..." She replied, her eyes not leaving Danielle's face as she moved aside to let her in.

Once she was inside the house, Danielle turned to her sister and whispered, "Is that Auggie?"

"Somebody talking about me?" Auggie said cheekily as he stepped into the room.

"Uh, it's just Danielle..." Annie said as she felt Auggie come to stand beside her.

"Danielle? Your sister?" Auggie asked.

"Uh, yeah.." Annie mumbled.

"Well, it's nice to finally meet you Danielle... Annie has built up quite the reputation." Auggie said as he stuck his hand out in her direction.

Danielle stuck her hand out to meet Auggie's as she gave her a knowing look. "I take it you're Auggie?"

"As far as I know..." Auggie joked.

Annie cleared her throat. "So, what brings you to town Danielle?"

"Well, I missed you..." Annie sensed there was something else.

"And?" She asked.

"Can't that be enough?" Danielle looked as though she was a deer caught in headlights.

"No." Annie answered with a joking tone.

"Okay," Danielle surrendered. "Michael and I are separating."

"Oh my god... Danielle that's terrible..." Annie said, rushing to her sister's side.

"No, I think it will be good for us.." Danielle said, she really didn't want to be pitied.

"What about the girls?" Annie asked.

"They're going to stay with Michael for a few more days, then they're coming down here." Danielle said.

"I can't wait to see them..." Annie said trying to lighten the mood.

"So, uh, what's going on here?" Danielle said, changing the subject.

"What do you mean?" Annie said, acting as though she had no idea what Danielle was referring to.

"Oh, come on, Annie! I know you better than that." Danielle said.

"Can somebody help me out here? I'm a little lost." Auggie said rejoining the conversation.

"How long have you two been?" Danielle asked, directing her question towards Auggie.

"A few days," Auggie answered.

"And you didn't tell me?!" Danielle asked her sister, shocked.

"What was I supposed to say?" Annie asked.

Auggie came back up behind Annie and wrapped his arm around her waist now that he knew he was free to do so in front of Annie's sister.

"Nevermind." Danielle said. "So how'd it happen?" She asked.

Annie looked up at Auggie when she felt him tense around her. "Um.. It had been a _difficult _day, I guess you could say... And..." Annie paused, but didn't get to continue.

"And it made me realize what she meant to me.." Auggie answered for her.

"He, uh, came to the house and he gave this _beautiful_ speech about how timing is everything and how in our line of work nothing is guaranteed..."

"Oh, come on, it wasn't that good.." Auggie remarked, making Annie giggle.

"Yes it was.." Annie replied, her gaze never leaving his hands which were now intertwined over her stomach.

Danielle cleared her throat to remind them that she was still there. It was such a refreshing sight to see her sister so happy and to know that she had been right about one thing. _Annie was definitely lucky to have an Auggie in her life._

* * *

"So, how have you been?" Danielle asked after Auggie had excused himself to the bathroom.

"Good- uh- great actually... For a few days anyway."

"And before that?"

"I was okay.." Annie answered, but Danielle could tell she was lying through her teeth.

"You're lying..."

"Trained spy that can't cover up a lie?" Auggie asked, returning from the bathroom. "Maybe we need to send you back to training.."

"Or maybe a few one on one classes would help.." Danielle joked, joining in on the fun.

"Danielle!" Annie gasped.

"What?" Danielle asked innocently. "I'm sure Auggie wouldn't mind."

"I'm staying out of this..." Auggie said as he took a seat at the island.

* * *

"You okay?" Auggie asked as he turned to face Annie in the bed.

"Yeah, just thinking." Annie answered.

"About?"

"Jai..." Annie paused. "And Henry, and all of it..."

"I know it's probably really hard on you." Auggie said as he pulled Annie into his arms. "But I promise that we'll sort it out,_ together..."_

"I know Auggie." She whispered as she moved closer to him. She felt him wrap his arms around her waist and pull her closer. She obliged and smiled as he nuzzled his face into her hair.

After a few minutes he spoke. "I could stay like this forever."

She turned in his arms so her face was mere inches from his. "Me too." Annie said.

* * *

"How was your night?" Danielle asked as Annie and Auggie came into the kitchen.

"It was nice. Refreshing, even." Annie smiled at Auggie as he moved around the kitchen, already knowing where the mugs were. He slowly poured them both a cup of coffee and handed her one of the mugs.

"I'm glad..." Danielle smiled at Annie. Annie just took a sip of her coffee to avoid Danielle's knowing look.

"Um, Danielle, as much as I would love to spend the day with you, we have to get going. We have an important meeting today." Annie said as she finished the coffee.

"I get it, I get it.. Matter of national security.." Danielle said.

"Something like that." Auggie said as he helped Annie slip on her jacket.

"You two have a nice day." Danielle yelled as they walked out the door.

"Sorry about Danielle. She can be... overwhelming at times." Annie said as she got into the driver's seat of her car.

Auggie opened the passenger side door and climbed in. "I loved meeting her... It shows a different side of you."


	15. Mondays

"Good morning, Joan." Auggie said as he and Annie stepped off of the elevator.

"No time for pleasantries Auggie. I need to see both of you in my office now." Joan said as they walked down the halls of the CIA towards Joan's office.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Auggie whispered into Annie's ear as the followed Joan.

"Of course not." Annie whispered back before they stepped into Joan's office.

* * *

"Annie, you don't have to do this." Joan said as she moved to sit on the edge of her desk.

"Yes, I do. Henry obviously already trusts me, Joan, and it would be a good way to flush out any of his moles within the agency."

"Are you sure about this, Annie?" Auggie asked worriedly from his position by the closed door.

"Yes. We need to end this. I am tired of having to look over my shoulder since Jai died. I think Henry wants revenge and I want him out of my life. He seems to know everything that we are doing and when." Annie paused and turned to Auggie. "I can't keep living like that."

"Okay, I will just leave you two alone to discuss this." Joan said before opening her office door. "Oh, and do the DPD a favor and don't tell _anybody_ about this."

"International espionage is my middle name." Auggie quipped before he heard the office door swing shut, effectively leaving him and Annie alone in Joan's office.

"I'm doing this for us." Annie said. "I don't want us to have to worry about him all the time. I want to be able to. enjoy us."

"I know." Auggie whispered. He let his hand reach for hers and touched her fingers. He slowly lifted his arm so that his hand lightly trailed up her arm as it had so many times before.

"I just don't want us to have secrets and this is one of those things that will cause us to have secrets in our relationship." Annie said as she let herself lean into Auggie's touch.

"If you can't live with secrets, you shouldn't be dating a spy." Auggie said, trying to lighten the mood.

Annie laughed half-heartily. "I guess not." She agreed. "But that's not going to stop me."

"I should hope not." Auggie said as he leaned in and kissed her quickly on the lips.

Someone cleared their throat, causing Annie to look up at them. "Uh-"

"Do you know where I could find Joan?" He asked as though nothing had happened. Annie just stood there speechless.

"Conference room three." Auggie answered, and the man walked away. "Well, looks like the whole office will know by lunch." Auggie said as he held the door open for Annie.

* * *

"Annie, I have your wire ready." Barber said as he handed her the recording device.

"Why couldn't I have just worn my usual wire?" Annie asked as she took the small earring bug from him.

"Well, we assume that with Mr. Mercer's warnings, that Henry may be expecting you to wear a wire to your meeting. That means it's likely that he will have you searched." Barber answered.

"He will probably have a bug detector too." Auggie said from his position next to Annie. "So, you will be able to turn the bug off by pushing the hidden device in the top button of this shirt." He handed Annie a red button-up shirt and she located the device.

"I'll- uh- just leave you to get changed." Barber said as he left the conference room. As soon as she heard the door close, Annie stripped of her current white button-up and jacket to replace them with the red shirt.

"Auggie, thank you."

"For what?" Auggie asked confused.

"For understanding why I need to do this."

"I don't like it... But I understand it." He said as he brought a hand up to her cheek. Annie finished buttoning the last button before she allowed herself to lean into his touch.

* * *

Annie cautiously stepped out of her car into the Vesta parking lot. She gained her courage before entering the restaurant and sitting down at the usual booth.

"Ms. Walker?" Asked a waitress.

"Yes?" Annie asked/

"A man was here earlier. I had seen him with you before and he told me to give you this." She said as she handed her a napkin with seemingly meaningless letters scrawled on it.

"Thank you." Annie said as she took it, she looked down at the writing and smiled as though she was happy. "He always was one for riddles." She explained to the waitress.

As the waitress walked away, Annie took out her phone and discretely took a photo of the writing, sent the picture to Barber, and deleted the picture and message from her phone. She got up and left the booth and returned to her car.

* * *

As Annie sat down in her front seat, she heard her phone ringing. She looked down at the caller ID: _Henry Wilcox__._

"Hello?" She answered the phone.

"Ms. Walker, I believe that you have gotten my message." She heard Henry say from the other end of the line.

"Yes." Annie replied, keeping her voice calm and even.

"Good. I intend for you to use that information to the best of your knowledge and meet me at the appointed place." He said smoothly.

"I will." Annie said as she slipped the napkin into her purse.

"Oh, and Ms. Walker, one more thing?" Henry asked. "Tell your sister that I said hello, would you?"

"What does Danielle have to do with anything?" Annie asked.

"Well, I guess we will just have to find out, won't we?" And with that, the line went dead. Annie took a few moments to process this new information. _What has Danielle gotten herself into? _Annie asked herself as she pulled away from Vesta.


	16. Secrets

"Danielle?" Annie asked as she walked through the door that night with Auggie on her arm.

"In the living room!" Danielle yelled.

"Maybe, I will just leave you two to talk." Auggie whispered as he kissed Annie's head. He unfolded his cane and walked the already familiar way to her room.

"Danielle..." Annie said when she saw her sister sitting at the island with a half-eaten container of ice cream.

"What's up?" Danielle asked when Annie took a seat across from her.

"We need to talk."

"About?" Danielle asked suspiciously.

"Henry Wilcox." Annie said.

"Who's he?" Danielle's face wrinkled in curiosity.

"Wait, you mean you don't know who he is?" Annie said shocked.

"No, not unless I maybe catered for him once?" Danielle said. "The name sounds familiar."

"Well, there's probably a good reason for that..." Annie trailed off as she thought of Jai.

"Which would be?" When Annie didn't answer Danielle continued. "Annie, you have to give me more than bits and pieces."

"He was Jai's dad."

"Oh.."

"He, uh, is in some trouble with the agency and he mentioned you." Annie said carefully as she watched for her sister's reaction.

"He mentioned me?" Danielle asked. "Are you sure?"

"Well, as far as I know, you're my only sister." Annie sighed. "Do you have any idea why he would mention you?"

"Not a clue." Danielle answered.

"Okay. Would you let me know if he tries to contact you?" Annie asked. "I worry about you."

"So do I." Danielle ran a hand through her hair. "I- uh- think I need to go lie down. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Annie mumbled after her.

* * *

"Any luck?" Auggie asked when he heard her enter her room.

"Nope, not a thing."

"I'm sure he was just saying that to keep you on your toes." Auggie assured.

"But what if he wasn't?"

"Well, if there is one thing I know about your sister, it's that she would never go behind your back." He said as he sat down on the bed beside her and searched for her hand.

"But I went behind hers when I started working for the agency."

"Annie, there is a fine line between lying to your sister about your job to do good for your country and lying to betray your country." He squeezed her hand.

"Yeah, I guess there is." Annie agreed.

"Now how about we get some sleep? You could use it." He said as he got up from the bed to get ready for bed.

"Auggie?" Annie asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah?" He climbed into bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Thank you." She said, just above a whisper. He knew what she was referring to.

"You're welcome."

* * *

"Annie! Auggie! Can you please come down here?" Danielle shouted from the base of the stairs outside of Annie's room. "There is somebody here for you."

Annie and Auggie descended the stairs moments later, ready for work. "Who would be here for both of us?" Annie thought aloud.

"Jim! Come on in.." Annie said as she opened the door to allow him to enter.

"Jim? What on earth are you doing here." Auggie asked, knowing that he had _definitely_ canceled his transportation for the day.

"Well, Mr. Anderson, I received an urgent message from Joan to pick you and your lovely girlfriend, Annie, up from her place of residence and to drop you at a meeting location. It is rather urgent as I am told."

"Oh, well, then you two should go. I'll see you both tonight after I pick up the girls from the airport." Danielle said as she handed Annie her jacket and sent them on their way.

Once they were out of the house, Annie waited until they were all seated in the car to speak. "Jim, can you tell me where we are going?"

"I am afraid not. Joan stressed that very much." He said, but his actions betrayed his words as he handed Annie two slips of paper, one written in braille and another written in Joan's scribbled writing.

_Car and house bugged. There is a trace on the vehicle. You will meet with another vehicle and be transferred, where you will be transported to our meeting and await further instruction. Dispose of these messages._

Annie saw Auggie's realization as he let his fingers cross over the written message. Annie put her hand on his arm to let him know that she also knew. "Jim, could you stop somewhere. I have to use the restroom." Annie said as she found Auggie's hand and joined it with hers.

"Of course, Ms. Walker." He said from the front seat. Annie knew they had to keep up a normal conversation.

"Jim, I've told you a hundred times, call me Annie." She said from the back seat as they pulled into a gas station.

"I will be right back." Annie said as she took her and Auggie slips of paper and tucked them in her purse. She entered the gas station and walked to the back of the store, where the bathroom was located. She locked the bathroom door and turned on the sink. She dug in her small purse for the lighter that she always carried and pulled it out. She took each piece of paper and burned them over the sink before allowing the burnt pieces to be washed away, effectively erasing all evidence that the papers ever existed.

She then walked back out of the restroom and browsed the aisles to be sure that nobody had been tailing them. She purchased a water and exited the gas station, carefully watching the man who exited right after her.

When she got back into the vehicle she got Auggie's attention by kissing his cheek and then tapping Morse code on his leg.

_Being tailed. _

_By who? _He tapped.

_Green SUV. _She answered.


	17. Coming To A Front

"And... Here we are." Jim said as they pulled into what appeared to be an abandoned house.

"Thank you, Jim." Annie said as he opened her door and she stepped out.

"No problem, Annie. I will see you and Mr. Anderson in a few hours." He said politely.

"Of course." Annie went to shake his hand and slipped him a small piece of paper.

_Green SUV tailed us. Be sure they follow you back out._

"Call me if you need anything." Jim said as he got back into the car and pulled away.

"That was... interesting." Auggie said from behind her.

"Yeah, so where's this car we're supposed to meet?" Annie asked as she looked around.

"Well, what do you see?" Auggie asked.

"A house, no car, and woods." Annie said.

"The house." Auggie's hand took its usual place just above her elbow.

"Okay." Annie led him over to the house.

"Got anything to pick the lock?" Auggie asked.

"Yeah," Annie said, reaching into her hair to pull a bobby pin out of her bun. "Hang on... Got it." She said as the door swung open and she replaced the bobby pin. Auggie held onto her arm and she led him into the house.

"Do you see anything?" Auggie asked.

"Not out of the ordinary." She said as she looked around the main room.

"The ordinary hides a lot of things, Annie." Auggie told her. Annie tensed as they entered the kitchen. "What do you see?"

"There's a fresh cup of coffee on the table." She said as she looked around the corner.

"Wait," Auggie whispered. Annie could tell he was listening for any sound.

"Annie! It is so good to see you again!" Annie tensed at the sound of Eyal's voice.

"Eyal?" Annie asked as she saw his face. He just smiled. "Shouldn't you be out sailing the seas right about now?"

"I'm afraid not." Eyal said as he came to stand in front of Annie.

"Mm-mm," Auggie cleared his throat.

"And Auggie." Eyal said, acknowledging his presence.

"What are you doing here?" Annie asked, directing the attention back on Eyal's surprise visit.

"Well, your friend Joan called me in and told me you might need help."

"That doesn't make sense." Annie thought aloud. _Joan thought of Eyal as a traitor. He had given Annie false information. _

"I do realize that your boss does not like me, but she knows I would do anything for you. You have saved my life countless times, so when she called and requested that I help, I immediately accepted. I hope you do not mind." Eyal half-told, half-asked Annie.

"You do not know what you're getting yourself into." Annie told him. "We don't even know what we're getting into."

"We have been through worse, no?" Eyal asked.

"Annie, we have no choice." Auggie reminded her.

"Okay, what do we have to do?" Annie asked.

* * *

Danielle ran through the airport. She was twenty minutes late to pick up the girls. _Finally,_ she reached their gate.

"Mommy!" They both shouter as they ran from the flight attendant towards her.

"Girls!" She said as she dropped to her knees to embrace them. "I missed you sooo much!" She said dropping a kiss to each of their foreheads.

"May I please see some identification?" The flight attendant asked. Danielle got up off of the floor and opened her purse. She pulled out her wallet and flashed her license at the woman.

"Okay, because they are minors,I just need you to fill out this form saying that they arrived and that you picked them up, and you may go." The super perky flight attendant said.

* * *

"I can't believe we're doing this." Annie mumbled as she got into the car.

"We have no choice." Auggie told her.

"I wish we did."

"Hey," He said, taking her face in his hands and pressing her forehead to his, "We'll get through this."

"Yeah.." She said, sounding not so sure. She reached into her purse and pulled out the same set of earrings and shirt that she had the other day. She changed in the back seat while Eyal drove. It hit her that he had probably seen her in the mirror, but she was too worried to linger on that.

"Auggie?" She asked.

"Yes?" He asked from his seat next to her.

"Do I look okay?" She joked, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Always." He said as he took her hand in his own and held it.

Tensions were running high. Annie was almost at the pint of tears. She looked up at Eyal and then at Auggie. These two men had been there whenever she needed them. They had broken her out of a foreign prison, saved her life more times than she could count, and been her supports when she needed them.

"Thank you." She said suddenly. "For everything. Both of you."

"Annie, it is not the time to talk like that." Eyal said from the driver's seat.

"I just needed to say it." She said honestly.

"Eyal's right, Annie. We'll get through this." Auggie squeezed her hand.

"And if we don't?"

"If is not an option. We will make it through this." Auggie assured her.

* * *

"Ms. Walker. I trust you come alone?" Henry said as she sat down in front of him.

"You put too much trust in me." She told him as she looked into his icy eyes.

"Do I?" He asked. "Maybe it was my plan all along for you to bring along your friends. After all, I brought a few of my own." He told her.

"And who would that be?" Annie asked.

"Hello again, Annie." Ben said as he smiled cheekily for show.

"Ben..." She uttered his name like she had not seen him in years.

"Good, now that we are acquainted, how about you bring your friends out?" Henry asked.


	18. War

Auggie and Eyal entered and took their seats next to Annie.

"Ah, gentlemen, how nice to see you again." Henry said. "However, I wish it were under different circumstances."

"I can't say the same." Eyal said as he stared into Henry's icy eyes.

"Enough with the chit-chat." Ben said. "Onto business."

* * *

"We have enough to put you behind bars, Mr. Wilcox." Auggie said from beside Annie.

"Like what?"

"Treason, for starters. As we speak, dozens of agents are tearing apart anything you or any of your known allies own for stolen secrets. We know for a fact that you have targeted Joan and Arthur. You're going away for a long time." Auggie answered.

"Ah, well, then I suppose I should just surrender right now." Henry said.

"You should, but we all know that you won't." Annie told him with a smirk.

"And why is that, Ms. Walker?" Henry asked.

"Because you still think you can get away with it." She answered simply.

* * *

_~Elsewhere~_

"Search anything and everything. False walls, fake floors. Anything. I want that place stripped. All documents are to be turned into analysis." Joan said as the search unit headed into Henry Wilcox's residence.

"Yes, ma'am." The head officer said through his earwig. He picked the lock and the unit spread out throughout the home.

* * *

"Let's say that you somehow manage to prosecute me, how do you know that I won't get out? I already have once before."

"Because the charges already against you add up to life without parole, if you're lucky." Eyal said.

"And if I'm not so lucky?"

"We'll just have to wait and find out, won't we?" He watched as Henry got up.

"I guess we will." Henry affirmed as he left.

* * *

"Ma'am. We have the recovered stolen documents from the Wilcox residence." A messenger told Joan as she sat down at her desk.

"Thank you." Joan said. "I want those documents brought to me after analysis is through with them."

"Yes, ma'am." The messenger said before retreating out of her office.

_Knock knock.._

Joan looked up from her desk to see Arthur standing in the doorway. He entered once she had acknowledged his presence.

"We have enough to put him away for life." Arthur said as he took the seat across from his wife.

"Life isn't good enough." Joan told him, without looking up. "He went after us. He went after this whole agency. I'm not settling with him going away for life. He'll get himself out again."

"Joan, it's life without parole, and that's if he's got a nice judge." Arthur tried to assure her.

"No, it's not. It's a war that he has started. And it won't be over until he and every one of his accomplices is six feet under."

"Joan, even if we do that, it's not going to accomplish very much. We are very influential people in this agency, and that means somebody will always be out to get us." He tried to tell her.

"It's not about that, Arthur. It's about winning a war. And we have to win for the sake of everybody on our watch. If we go down, they all go down. And I don't know about you, but I'm sure not going to stand by and watch my people go down for something they didn't even know about! These are my people, Arthur. They are my responsibility to protect. I'm not going down without a fight."

"Okay," He wiped his face with his hand. "What do you suppose we do?"

* * *

"Did you get the tracker on him?" Annie asked Ben after Henry had left.

"In his front coat pocket." Ben assured.

"You don't actually believe that he won't find it, do you?" Eyal asked. "I mean, he is former CIA."

"That's the point." Auggie told him.

"If he finds the tracker, then he won't expect there to be another, under his own skin." Annie explained. "Do you remember this little guy?" Annie asked as she held up one of the 'mosquito bite' tracking devices.

"Ah, my dear Annie, you truly are a genius." Eyal told her as he patted her shoulder.

* * *

"Henry Wilcox, you are officially under arrest."

"What charges?" He asked as he slowly turned around to face the agents behind him.

"Treason against the United States of America. You will be charged for any deaths that occurred as an outcome. That adds up to a lot of jail time." The main officer approached Henry, and he didn't put up a fight. He willingly allowed the cuffs to be put on his wrists while he was read his rights.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you can not afford one, one will be appointed to you..."

* * *

"It was too easy." Joan said as she paced back and forth between her agents.

"I thought the same thing." Auggie admitted from beside Annie.

"So what do we do?" Annie asked.

"We find out why. He wouldn't just go that willingly if he didn't have something planned."

"Well, it's obviously going to be a lot harder than we thought. His computer was swiped clean, no evidence of anything remained. I can't recover anything, I've already tried." Auggie said.

"Don't bother with it. He wouldn't be stupid enough to leave an electronic trail." Joan told him.

"Well, as far as we can tell, there's not a paper trail, either." Annie said. "Every known property was already searched. There's nothing that we didn't expect to find."

"He wouldn't leave a paper trail either." She continued to pace.

"How are we going to find a trail, then?"


	19. False Safety

"I can't handle this anymore." Annie said as she cuddled in closer to Auggie's side.

"I know." Auggie kissed the top of her head.

"I want to be able to come home with you and not worry about whether or not Henry is going to get his revenge on me. I don't want us to have to live like this."

"It'll be okay." He assured her.

"I just hope you're right."

* * *

Danielle rushed to the phone before it stopped ringing. "Hello?"

"Good evening, Mrs. Brooks."

"Who is this?" She asked.

"How are you daughters settling in?"

"Who is this?!" Danielle saw the girls look at her worriedly.

"And how is your dear husband? So sorry to hear about the divorce."

"What do you want from me?" The line went dead.

"Girls, get up, grab your bags, let's go!"

"Mommy, what's wrong?"

"Girls, I'll explain later, just grab your bags!" Danielle grabbed Auggie's from the _emergency only _information Annie had given her and speed dialed her sister. She rushed the girls into the car.

"This is Annie Walker, leave me a message and I'll get back to you soon."

"Annie, don't you ever answer your phone?!" Danielle said as she took another look at the paper in her hands. She typed in Auggie's number when she reached a red light.

* * *

_Call from: Danielle._ Auggie's phone rang through the bedroom and Auggie sat up.

"Why would my sister be calling you at ten at night?" Annie asked as she handed Auggie his phone.

"I don't know, but she knows only to call in a emergency." Auggie said as he took his phone and put it on speaker. "Danielle? Is something wrong?"

"Auggie, is my sister there?"

"I'm right here, Danielle. What's wrong?"

"Somebody called the house. They wouldn't give me a name or anything. I think they threatened me and the girls."

"Danielle, where are you?" Auggie asked.

"Two blocks from the house."

"Danielle, do you remember the address I gave you for emergencies only?"

"I have it right here."

"Good, now I want you to go there. Just wait in the car. We'll meet you there."

* * *

Annie threw her clothes back on in a rush and tossed Auggie his shirt.

"This isn't good." She stated as she slipped on her sneakers.

"I know." He replied as he grabbed his keys.

"He's going after my family, Auggie." She grabbed her jacket and followed Auggie out the door.

"I know. I'll call Joan."

* * *

"Annie, thank god." Danielle got out of the car when she saw Annie and Auggie walking toward her on the sidewalk.

"Are the girls okay?" Annie asked.

"They're fine."

"Annie, check the car." Auggie was on high alert. This was no coincidence. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just a little shaken up. He threatened my daughters, Auggie. "And I don't take that lightly." Danielle paused. "Is this about Jai's dad?" She asked nervously. Auggie just held a blank expression that said _can't tell you that._ "Right..."

"Auggie, I found two trackers." Annie said as she walked back up to them holding two small black devices in her hands. Danielle's eyes got wide.

"Odds are that there are more." He told her. "Check everything. Their jackets, your purse, or anywhere else they could have hidden a locator chip." Danielle handed Annie her purse and went to get the girls' bags from the car.

"Here. They still had their suitcases packed from the flight." Danielle said as she gave Annie the bags. Annie finished searching through Danielle's purse and pulled out a _very_ small black chip. "How many trackers do they have on us?!" Danielle asked, annoyed when she saw the black device.

Annie unzipped the first zipper of one of the suitcases and pulled out a toothbrush, a hairbrush, and some hairties. Another chip fell out with it. She did the same with the other bag, but this time she found the tracker under all of the clothes and taped very discretely to the back of the tag.

"Give me your phone." Auggie reached his hand in Danielle's direction and she gave Auggie her phone. He took out the battery and the sim card. He felt a little wire attatched to the sim card. "Annie, is this what I think it is?" He held it out for her to see.

"Danielle, you were bugged. They've heard every phone call and very possibly every conversation that you've had since it was put in your phone." Annie told her sister. Danielle almost started to cry, but she kept herself together for the girls, who were watching the adults from the backseat of Danielle's car.

"Auggie, can I have a minute alone with Danielle?" Annie asked when she saw her sister about to break down. He didn't reply, but simply went to sit in the passenger seat of Danielle's car to distract the girls. "What do you think they heard?" Annie asked.

"How do you know that's the problem?" Danielle tried to joke.

"Danielle, what did they hear?" Annie asked again.

"My fights, arguments about who has custody of the girls, who gets the house, and the cars, my lawyers, everything." She admitted as she leaned against the side of a building they were standing near. "They heard every detail of my life, Annie. And even worse, they heard it directly from me!" She let a tear fall down her cheek.

* * *

"Aren't you the man from the museum?" One of the girls asked Auggie.

"Yes, I am." He smiled as he remembered the day he had to fill in for Annie at the Smithsonian.

"Are you my Aunt Annie's boyfriend?" She asked.

"Yeah, I am. You're very smart." Katia smiled.

"Do you love her?" She asked him.

"Very much." He answered simply.

"How do you know?"


	20. Worrying

"I just know."

"How?"

"Well, love is complicated." Auggie started. "But I know I love her because when she walks into a room, I can't help but smile."

"That's not love." Katia corrected.

"Oh, it's not?" Auggie played along.

"Nope. You don't love my aunt. You're in love with her." Auggie opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by Annie opening the car door.

"Auggie, we have to get them someplace safe. Did you call Joan?" Annie asked.

"Yeah, she can't set up a safe house without clearance. She says they can stay with her and Arthur."

"Aunt Annie, what's going on?" Katia asked from the back of the car.

"Nothing, you're just gonna have to stay at a friend of mine's for a while."

"Why?" Annie struggled to find an excuse for them leaving the house.

"The house is being fumigated." Auggie said, coming to her rescue. She squeezed his arm in appreciation.

"What's that?"

"It means that they're cleaning for bugs, making sure no little bugs are in your house." _Well, it wasn't a lie.._

"Oh." Katia seemed satisfied with the answer and sat back against the seat.

* * *

"Joan, thank god." Annie said as she opened the door and saw Joan sitting in the entrance.

"Annie, is your sister okay?" Joan asked in a very professional manner.

"She's okay, considering." The girls slowly came through the door, staying as close to their mom as possible.

"Mommy, who's she?" Chloe asked, tugging on her mom's shirt and pointing at Joan.

"I'm a very good friend of Annie's." Joan said, leaning down to the girl's level.

Chloe broke apart from her mom and went to Annie. She tugged on her jacket and Annie leaned down. Chloe whispered in her ear. "Can I trust her?"

Annie smiled. "Yes, you can trust her." Joan smiled at Chloe.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm very sure."

"Can you give me a minute with Annie?" Joan asked, directing her attention to Danielle.

"Sure. Come on girls, let's give them some privacy." Danielle said, taking her daughters' hands and leading them into the nest room.

"What happened?" Joan asked, almost as soon as they were gone.

"Danielle received a call and they wouldn't say who was calling. She said they threatened her. And we found a whole lot of bugs in her stuff. Tracking devices, the whole lot."

"Henry."

"My thoughts exactly." Auggie said.

"Do we know where the call originated from?" Joan asked.

"I'm having Barber work on it. The phone used was encrypted, not that it was unexpected from Henry, but this is some of the most complicated coding that we've ever seen."

"So he's got a hacker working for him."

"A very skilled one." Danielle knocked on the doorway separating the two rooms and entered.

"Sorry to interrupt, but the girls are tired. Where are they sleeping tonight?"

"Uh, there's a guest bedroom upstairs that you can take. Second door on the left."

"Thank you." Danielle went back in the other room, and came out carrying a sleeping Chloe, and a very tired Katia following her. They walked up the steps and Joan waited for the door to close before she spoke.

"Henry's usually a very clean man. He doesn't get anybody involved in his plans unless absolutely necessary. He shouldn't be going after your family, Annie. He doesn't do that."

"Maybe he thinks it will give him leverage." Annie thought out loud.

"No, it's not his style. There has to be a reason he's going after your sister."

"I'm pretty sure Danielle doesn't know anything. She can't hide anything from me. Never could." Annie defended.

"Well, there has to be some reason he brought her into this." They heard the door upstairs open again and Danielle came down the steps.

"Thank you, again." Danielle said as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She took a place by her sister. She lowered her voice to be sure nobody else heard her. "Is it safe to assume you work with Annie?" She asked Joan. Joan nodded. "So does that mean we're safe here?"

"It couldn't be safer. Mrs. Brooks, you must remember who we work for, and that we are trained to protect. With the four of us, you can't be touched." Danielle breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

Arthur hung up the phone and sighed. This wasn't good. He loosened his tie and went to find Joan. When he finally found them all standing at the bottom of the stairs, he hesitated.

"You must be Annie's sister." He shook her hand. "I'm Arthur, Joan's husband."

"Danielle."

"I'm afraid I have some bad news." Arthur said, glancing around each of them.

"What kind of bad news?" Joan asked. Arthur's eyes darted to Danielle as if to say it was the kind of news that shouldn't be shared with outsiders. "Arthur, she's already a part of this."

"Henry was attacked in jail. He was taken to the hospital, and was put under surveillance, but somebody tried to kill him. I think we're dealing with someone who wants him dead. They want whatever he knows to be kept quiet." He paused. "And we think whoever called your sister here, was after something. It wasn't Henry, or any of his allies."

"So we don't know who's after my family?" Danielle asked, a little nervous.

"Not yet, but we have our best people working on it." Danielle's eyes went a little wide.

"Danielle, we're not going to let anybody hurt you or the girls." Annie assured. Danielle just nodded.

"It's been a long day. I think we should all call it a night. We have a lot to do in the morning." Joan said.


End file.
